Advise from my peers

Ok here's my story, just getting back into photography after many many year. I've been shooting maybe for 3 months but not a ton. I have some decent equipment and can afford to add more if needed. I've been to a Scott Kelby lighting class and he and it look easy, 2 Elinchrom 500 big 53" octagon and the set seemed straight forward. I also live on the forums and will say, some stuff posted is, well not the best either. Well I did my first lol glamour shoot at home. I set up my lighting and I didn't have enough light, barely light the subject. Moving the one over head that's shooting in a 45 closer maybe 4 ft away and the other side light a little closer I got a nice soft lighting. Now being a newbie, I wasn't paying attention on my focus point and and it was slightly out of focus.

My question is this, I feel somewhat confident outside. I feel I do not lack equipment except better lighting would help, my choice Elinchrom 500 bxri and a side soft box and a 53" octagon. How do you get better doing glamour...is it more trial and error? Do you guys shoot a lot of models. That's the other issues, I can get some decent amature models, but I don't wanna turn out **** work....I can see I'd be moving lights just to get effects and not getting the results.....are at least that's what I think? Also,I do not want to come off like, because I bought gear I should be a pro or it will happen over night. I'm just looking for a better path...that other photographers would feel be a better way to learn.

Any suggestions and thank you in advance

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Best advise I can give is, shoot, shoot, and shoot some more.... You have to figure out what works for you and your "style". With practice you will get better and better with off camera flash/strobes, learn the limitations of your equipment and work around it.

P.S. Just because your lens can open wide it doesn't mean you should.

Agreed I know that with lighting I should be shoot at around F7-F9 correct? Plus pay more attention to my focusing. The master the lighting...guess that takes time. This was another one.

Thank you very much for your advise

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I'm not sure If I violated the rules on posting, but I don't want to CC pic, but just give a gauge on what level I'm shooting at in the fem months of shooting. Since I can not post in glamour yet...I'm not looking for portrait shooting. Hope that makes sense?

If you want some constructive criticism, and this is just my opinion... but in the first 2 pics I think your background is overexposed in comparison with the model. Getting some sort of key light source on the model would really bring those out. You could also probably fix that in post though.

The last pic you have strong key light on the model, but it's also exposing the background where you can see the folds, etc. I like to get the background so it shows completely black, that way those lines and folds won't show. See attached photo.

Again, those are just my opinions. And I don't really shoot much portraiture, so you may prefer how you have things. But like the previous member stated, practice is everything.

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Ledrak, thanks for your imput. Every little bit helps and I'd rather get some imput now than try and correct bad habits later. There's a wealth of knowledge and great photographers in this forum, so I'll take all the help I can get. I figured posting what I did whould help people understand what my shots looked like. Thank you again

Good advice I received at POTN was this:

1. Start with one light and a reflector.

2. Basic camera settings would be ISO 100, f/7.1 and 1/160 on the shutter

3. Adjust light power on your flashes to achieve desired lighting and proper exposure.

Much of it is simply trial and error. One thing though, is you have to have light for your camera to achieve focus. This is why strobes with modeling lights are much better for the indoor portrait stuff. Then, you don't have competing light sources (natural, strobes, overhead incandescent, etc) that make achieving natural white balance a chore when processing your shots.

dave

Ok with that in mind, why can't you shoot with just a modeling light. If the subject is lit the way you want it to be......what happens if you do not use an addional light source?

Your right to on the focus part, the room was kinds dark, besides the off camera flashes.

your eyes adjust for the modeling light, so if you like that, then you have to adjust the camera for it as well. This means combinations of ISO, aperture, and shutter speeds. If you can't adjust aperture any more, like you're limited by the lens capability, then you have to adjust ISO. At some point, you're either going to get the look you were after, or run out of options. Too long of a shutter speed, and you'll get blur from the model/subject moving, or you moved.

It's all about making adjustments based on your equipment and its capabilities.

Got ya Hawk...well I have so much to learn and a lot will be trial and error. Then understanding why I made the mistakes and correct it. Thanks again guys for your input and time.

Most of my studio glamour is with one simple light with a 60" Photek Softlighter as my diffuser. You can really keep it quite simple.

but not every glamour shot will be with the model 8 inches off the backdrop. I like your work Dave, but it's not always going to be that simple a setup

The model being so close to the backdrop is irrelevant as far as the lighting on her from the front. We can talk backdrops and separation and perhaps bringing more lighting into the equation.

I felt my response was relevant to his question.

How are things in Packers land?

well, the question seems to be how to get better images, if I understand it correctly. Practice, as well as knowing your gear will go a long way toward that goal.

and we're just fine here in Packerland, Dave

hawk911 wrote in post #13097617
well, the question seems to be how to get better images, if I understand it correctly. Practice, as well as knowing your gear will go a long way toward that goal.

and we're just fine here in Packerland, Dave

Agreed...that's what I believe is needed. I have the equipment.